VBT Board approves budgets, ordinance against coal tar

The Van Buren Township Board of Trustees approved the amended 2015 and proposed 2016 general fund budgets on a 5-1 vote at its regular meeting Dec. 1.
Voting against the approvals was Trustee Reggie Miller, who did not explain her vote. Supervisor Linda Combs was absent and excused.
The 2015 amended budget was $13,861,427 and the 2016 proposed budget is $14,358,372.
When president of the dispatch/patrol officers union Adam Byrd asked if there were any cuts from this year’s budget to next year’s budget, Clerk Leon Wright said the budget has no cuts at all.
Treasurer Sharry Budd said the secretary proposed for the fire department was removed and that’s the only item removed from those budgets.
Speaking earlier in the meeting, former Supervisor Paul White said the budgets for 2012, 2013, and 2014 averaged $12.6 million and the 2016 budget is over $14 million. White said the 2015 budget was $1.7 million more than the average and it is still to be audited.
“Why is $1.7 million more necessary?” he asked, noting this area is slowly recovering. He said the 2.5 mill tax increase sought would have been hard on seniors since they get no raises in their income.
“Who is going to manage that budget on a day-to-day basis?” White asked. “If we save, there would be zero need for a raise in the budget. The budget needs to be maintained on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis.”
He said if the three full-time elected officials aren’t interested in watching the budget, trustees can get a copy of spending through the clerk’s office.
The township board passed the following budgets unanimously (with Supervisor Combs absent):
• The 2015 amended and 2016 proposed Special Revenue Fund Budgets for Community Development Block Grant, Downtown Development Authority, Federal Forfeiture Fund, State Forfeiture Fund, E-911 Service Fund, Landfill Fund, and Belleville Area Museum; and
• The 2015 amended and 2016 proposed Water and Sewer budget and a resolution approving the 2016 rate/fee schedule. Director James Taylor said this includes a 3% rate increase to water and sewer customers, a $225,000 additional capture in revenue to cover $220,000 in rate increases to basically break even in the operational budget. He said an $189,207 operational net gain is expected.
Treasurer Budd said the proposed K-9 dog and handler had been pulled out of the budget of the state forfeiture fund.
She said there’s a difference in the building and planning department, since they have a director and he has a deputy.
“Public Safety is pretty much where they’ve been,” Budd said.
Coal tar sealant ban
The board also unanimously approved the first reading of a new ordinance to ban the use of coal tar-based pavement sealants within the township.
Matthew Best, Deputy Director of Planning and Economic Development, said the Environmental Commission is recommending the adoption of this ordinance to protect the health, safety, and welfare of township residents.
He said coal tar-based sealants are a source of PAH, a known carcinogen.
“These PAHs impact our residents, as well as our lakes and streams, with storm water carrying these carcinogens into our waterways,” he said. “Asphalt-based sealers are a safe and effective alternative to coal tar-based sealants.”
He said the objectives are to prevent cancer, especially to children; citizen education rather than enforcement; a clause that the sealants may later require licensing; and that coal tar sealants are not sold in Van Buren Township.
Trustee Brenda McClanahan asked how the township would enforce this.
Best said it’s not the residents who do their own sealing that are the problem, since Lowe’s or Home Depot don’t sell coal tar sealants.
He said the township compiled a list of sealant businesses that do business in VBT and the township will seek compliance through education.
Trustee Jeff Jahr said he is the board’s representative to the Environmental Commission and he publicly wanted to thank Dr. Dave Wilson for all his hard work on this issue.
Dr. Wilson said Rebecca Esselman of the Huron River Watershed Council first called this issue to his attention. He thanked the Independent for the support it gave in reporting on coal tar.
The second reading and final vote on the ordinance is scheduled for the Dec. 15 meeting.
In other business, the board:
• Approved revisions to the Planning Commission’s Rules of Procedure, as requested by the commission;
• Heard Pam Fleming give a promotion for the Belleville/Van Buren Goodfellows program. She said seniors who sign up can write “food only” on their application;
• Heard Trustee Phil Hart announce that Raymond Bailey, a community activist and former member of the Public Safety Citizens’ Committee, died Thanksgiving Day; and
• Heard comments from the of the audience of 52 on proposed layoffs to the police department and shut down of the duty crew at the fire department.